Launching the project

Welcome to the IMLS funded grant project Developing a Framework for Measuring Reuse of Digital Objects. You can find out more about the project aims on the About page. Over the next year, readers can expect to see a series of posts to the Measuring Reuse website that follows the team’s progress. Along the way, we hope to include reflections and perspectives on reuse from digital library practitioners. Readers are encouraged to watch this space to learn more about the work and to explore the boundaries of reuse with the team.

The grant aims to gather input from those working in digital libraries by conducting a formal needs assessment. This work will inform the development of a “reuse toolkit” to promote the adoption of standardized reuse measurement in digital libraries. The toolkit will highlight sustainable assessment techniques and best practices for communicating the impacts of digital collections. The grant outputs are intended to support cultural heritage institutions in developing collections through a nuanced understanding of how digital library materials are being used.

For our first post, we wanted to share our early efforts. The grant project began on July 1, 2017. Since then, we have assembled an advisory board (more soon), navigated the complex world of institutional review board (IRB) submission and approval, and compiled a survey that the team will use to develop a baseline for understanding how cultural heritage organizations view and incorporate reuse into their assessment practices. The team expects to solicit survey responses in the coming weeks using a variety of listservs. Targeted lists will be those that intersect with the topics of digital libraries/repositories and cultural heritage organizations and their communities’ interests. The team will be offering $25 to the first 50 individuals who complete the survey. If you are interested in participating in the survey please watch for the invitation or feel free to contact any member of the project team for more information.

With our first month completed, the team is looking forward to planning and executing other elements of the grant – including focus groups and conference presentations – over the next year. Check back to learn more about these efforts in future posts.